Posts Tagged tsunami

If you are feeling sad about the Superstorm Sandy that washed away a lot of homes and other establishments recently, and want to help in the relief efforts, there is an easier way now. Thanks to Apple, the iTunes Store now accepts donations which the company will transfer directly to the American Red Cross. The donation page can be accessed from the desktop iTunes Store, iTunes and App Store apps on iOS as well. The Cupertino tech giant has made provisions to donate at the $5, $10, $25, $50, $100, and $200 levels.

The Cupertino tech giant over 400 million iTunes accounts which are directly linked to the customers’ credit cards. So the people who are interested in donating will be able to just tap a button on the apps and transfer their share of relief fund to the American Red Cross, a noble thing to do. And also, it goes without saying that the Cupertino based iPhone maker will not be keeping any share of this donation for itself. 100 per cent of the donations made from the iTunes Store by the company’s customers will be forwarded to the American Red Cross.

The Cupertino tech giant has arranged many such relief fund raisers in the past. Most memorable ones have been the one for the Haitian earthquakes in January 2010, and for the earthquakes and Tsunami that hit Japan in the month of March, 2011. A significant amount of money was donated by Apple customers on these occasions, which have helped numbers unfortunate people.

So what are you waiting for? Go to the donation page and hit one of those Donate buttons right away. The amount will be billed to your existing iTunes Store account, making the whole process easy for you.

It has only been a bit over a year since the tragic tsunami hit parts of Japan killing thousands and leading to one of the worst nuclear disasters in history with radiation leaks from the Fukushima nuclear reactor in the wake of the tsunami. The radiation leaks from the power plant have left many in Japan very concerned about radiation. Japanese mobile carrier SoftBank has announced that part of the summer lineup will be a new smartphone with a radiation detector.

The smartphone is called the Pantone 5 SoftBank 107SH. The phone runs the Android 4.0 operating system and can be used as a mobile hotspot supporting up to 110 MB per second speed. The phone can track radiation levels between 0.05 and 9.99 μSv/h and the radiation detector function has its own dedicated key. The device also has a 4.9-megapixel camera, water resistance, Wi-Fi, and integrated GPS.

SoftBank will also be launching a 106SH Android smart phone with 4.7-inch screen, 1.5 GHz dual core processor, 720p resolution, and a 12.1-megapixel camera. The phone also has Wi-Fi, Bluetooth, and 1-Seg digital TV tuner. The company also has a 102HW Ultra 4G hotspot capable of 110 MB per second. Anticipated launch dates include early July for the 106SH and the Pantone 5 107SH will land in mid-July.

Texas Instruments, the makers of the dual core OMAP processor reported their fourth quarter earnings on Monday. TI beat the forecasts for Q4 from both Wall Street and their own management.

TI earned $298 million or 25 cents per share which is ahead of the 23 cents per share Wall Street was forecasting. Q4 2011 was the first full quarter for the company after the absorbed National Semiconductor which became TI’s Silicon Valley presence in September of 2011. TI, like other silicon companies, spent part of 2011 recovering from supply chain demand problems stemming from last years earthquake and tsunami in Japan.

More after the break

Texas Instrument’s CEO Rich Templeton said that the pleasant surprise came from an uptick in demand for the companies processors. TI has a far more robust portfolio of products, than just Android smartphone processors. They are the creators of the DLP technology that is fueling televisions, projectors and national movie houses. They of course, have their line of high school and college graphing calculators, which are a staple of education. They also supply the chips for thousands of products world wide.

Despite outperforming expectations of both Wall Street and inner management, Texas Instruments said they would be closing a factory in Japan and another in Houston Texas. The closure will result in about 1000 displaced jobs.

The two closing factories are two of the oldest factories within the company. The Houston factory is 42 years old while the factory in Japan is 32 years old. Texas Instruments will shift production to other factories that it already owns. The closures are expected to save TI $100 million dollars annually.

Despite shedding 1000 workers with these closures Texas Instruments picked up 5,000 workers four months ago when it closed on it’s deal with National Semiconductor.

If you like puzzle games, BULKYPIX.AMAhas released a game by the name of BABEL Rising for Android that you might want to check out. BABEL Rising is an action puzzle game offering hours of gameplay. The challenge is simple: unleash your powers to prevent the humans from building the tower.

The game offers a new challenge: slowing down as much as possible the building of the Tower of Babel. Humans are flooding the bottom of the screen and bringing stones. Step by step, they build the stairs and go higher and higher. You have at your disposal six different spells. With the “finger of God” (actually yours), always available, you can crush one human at once. But this spell is not powerful enough to contain the flow of humans. You must then implement more powerful spells, but the loading time is also becoming longer and longer: lightning, tornado, fire from heaven, Tsunami and finally earthquake will have to be used in good coordination and wisely. How long could you hold for humans?

With hilarious animations, clear graphics, a soundtrack worthy of an epic movie and an omnipresent sense of humour, BABEL RISING will have you breathless for hours, especially since it offers unlimited gameplay! you can also compare yourself to players around the world and unlock rewards via OpenFeint. The game is available on all Android devices, starting from version 2.1.

On March 11, 2011, Japan experienced a devastating 8.9-magnitude earthquake, followed by a monstrous tsunami that brutalized much of northern Japan. The strongest earthquake in Japanese history, which caused billions in damage and resulted in the death of over 15,000 people, was also the fourth strongest earthquake in recorded history, and led to the Fukushima nuclear power plant melting down.

Yesterday, Google announced on their blog that they’ve completed their scouring of the entire 44,000 kilometers of affected region, and users of Google Maps can now view 360-degree panoramic imagery of those areas via the Street View feature. Taking this virtual tour will give you a first-hand look at the horrific realities that the Japanese culture has endured over the past year. The images you will see on your tour are some of the most riveting pictures you’ll ever lay eyes on. My heart goes out to those who suffered through this natural disaster, and I truly hope you are in a better place now, 9 months later.

Additionally, Google also revealed that timestamps have been added to Street View images:

This timestamp feature has been the most requested Street View feature for the last few years, and it is now available on Street View imagery worldwide. Professionals such as historians, architects, city planners and tourism boards—as well as regular users including travelers and home-buyers—can now get a sense of how fresh the online photos are for a locations that interests them.

View Larger Map
If you’re up to the experience, this is definitely worth checking out.

You went out and bought that super bad new Droid Bionic, with its LTE capabilities, then found out you don’t have LTE where you live. I hate when that happens. Being a T-Mobile customer I can completely relate to that feeling. Don’t worry though, Verizon is like a Tsunami, you just can’t stop it from consuming everything in its path. They have just announced they plan to flip the switch on 26 more U.S. cities -

Verizon is also making major 4G LTE expansions on Thursday in San Francisco, Indianapolis and Cleveland/Akron.

This latest upgrade now covers 160 million Americans and cover a total 143 cities nationwide. I can’t really argue anyone when they tell me Verizon is the best network out there. I know it is true. If they were just less expensive and I liked any of their devices, I might have switched a long time ago.

We’ve confirmed that due to Hurricane Irene the US Launch of the Samsung Galaxy S II has been delayed. Now don’t think of this like when the Sony Xperia Play was delayed for months because of the Tsunami in Japan, or when the Samsung Droid Charge was delayed because of a major 4G/LTE outage for [...]

After delays resulting from the recent earthquakes and tsunami in Japan, Sony Ericsson’s Xperia Neo is finally starting to see widespread availability, as the handset launches in the UK today. We’ve been playing around with the Neo for just under a week now — in terms of internal hardware and software it’s pretty much identical to its bigger brother, the 4.2-inch Xperia Arc. There’s a larger battery, as well as a front-facing camera, but besides that it’s the same phone packed into a smaller (if slightly bulkier) 3.7-inch chassis. However, the Neo is a little more affordable than the Arc, with prices on launch day ranging from £342 at Clove to £390 at Amazon UK.

We’ll have a full review of the Xperia Neo written up in the next week or so. In the meantime, let us know in the comments if you’re thinking of picking one of these up.

Apple customers with Macs, displays, and iOS devices that were directly damaged in the Japan earthquake and tsunami may be eligible for free repairs. The offer, posted on the company’s Japanese website, excludes iPod classic, nano, and shuffle, and only applies to customers living in areas covered by the Ministry of Health’s Disaster Relief Act. Originally posted in March, Apple’s announcement joins Softbank’s offer to replace lost iPhones registered to its network, and free calls to Japan from U.S. carriers, among others. Considering water and other accidental damage typically voids a device’s warranty, you’ll want to give AppleCare a call soon — the acceptance period only runs through June 30th.

It’s a shame that its a rarity that as American’s we mobilize to help a fellow state out in the way we have over countries. The earthquake and tsunami in Japan affected many lives, including lives of Thedroidguy followers and lives of folks who work for our OEM ecosystem partners. Americans of course did what [...]

Philadelphia Eagles quarterback Michael Vick is back in the news regarding dog fighting. Only it’s not what you think. Vick, who did time in the big house for animal cruelty after running an illegal dog fighting ring, is leading the charge to have an Android app banned which Vick believes glorifies the activity. Game Developers for Kage Games disagree, claiming that the “Dog Wars” app educates users on the evils of animal cruelty and that proceeds will benefit animal rescue organizations and the Japanese tsunami relief effort. They even hide behind the first amendment stating that freedom of expression protects them against what they call “prejudgment.”

“I’ve come to learn the hard way that dog-fighting is a dead-end street,” Vick said in a statement. “Now, I am on the right side of this issue, and I think it’s important to send the smart message to kids, and not glorify this form of animal cruelty, even in an Android app.”

Vick is joining forces with the Human Society on the issue, saying that an app will actually do the opposite. And even the Los Angeles Police Protective League (LAPPL) says that Kage Games defense is a “dog that don’t hunt.” Paul Weber, president of the LAPPL, says that the game sends “absolutely the wrong message to children” and that the game should be banned.

And they may have a point. According to the company’s own website, the details of the game encourage gamers to create virtual animals and raise them to “beat the best,” and to earn virtual cash and even “street cred.” It also allows users to resist police raids with arms and to inject virtual pit bulls with steroids to make them meaner and more competitive. And the public outrage may be making a good point, as Kage Games says the game is still in development and it plans to incorporate suggestions from both supporters and critics to create what they promise will be a “more socially conscious app.”

Before Android, Motorola wasn’t doing too well and the company is turning around now that it is investing heavily into the development of Android smartphones. Sony Ericsson has suffered the same lack of interest in many of its handsets that Motorola used to suffer from.

Sony Ericsson is also getting a boost from Android with smartphones like the Xperia Play just as Motorola saw sales boosted from its Android devices. According to Financial Times while profits at SE declined with supply chain issues resulting from the Japanese earthquake and tsunami for the last quarter, the switch to Android has been positive for the company. Sony Ericsson CEO Bert Nordberg said, “Sony Ericsson’s profitability continues as we accelerate our shift towards an Android-based smartphone portfolio, with smartphones comprising over 60 per cent of our total sales during the quarter. However, the Japan earthquake made it a challenging quarter operationally and we are experiencing some disruptions to our supply chain.”

This is one more mobile phone maker that has seen the light and come to Android to help get consumers interested in their handsets and regain a competitive edge in the market. The move to Android phones has resulted in the average selling price for an SE handset rising from €134 to €141. Once supply chain issues are resolved, SE should look even better.

Look this time it’s important to note that any delay for the Sony Xperia Play in the United States has been caused by supply chain problems because of the earthquake and tsunami in Japan. Although just rumored, the Sony Xperia Play was supposed to have been announced by Verizon a couple of weeks ago, and [...]

Although the Sony Xperia Play for Verizon Wireless is rumored to be delayed just a little bit while Sony Ericsson gets some supply chain problems working out resulting from the earthquake and tsunami in Japan, we are going to take a quick look at this beast of a fun device. The Sony Xperia Play is [...]

As reports started rolling in after the recent Japanese earthquake we were relieved to hear back from Sony that most of their Japanese work force was safe and their mobile plants weren’t in any jeopardy. While this remains true, what we’ve come to find is that the suppliers Sony counts on for a number of [...]

Facing massive infrastructure disruption caused by the earthquake and tsunami last month, Japanese manufacturer Sony has been forced to cut back production on all of its upcoming Xperia devices.

The Xperia PLAY and Arc are both going to be in short supply at launch, just how short Sony Ericsson will come up on shipments is unknown. This could be a massive blow to the much-hyped Xperia PLAY, which Sony has spent a bundle advertising here in the US and abroad.

The super-thin Xperia arc will also be feeling the crunch, having launched in the UK with its US-debut presumably…

What an unfortunate situation this is. If you haven’t heard, the folks in Japan have experienced yet another series of earthquakes yesterday – 7.4 on the richter. While this didn’t do nearly as much damage as the first one which caused the devastating tsunami, it did continue to disrupt several business in Japan.

One of the companies affected was Sony Ericsson. They’ve communicated to their retail and carrier partners that supply of their newly-launched devices – the Xperia Arc and Xperia Play – will be limited for some time. They’ve also mentioned that their initial launch of the Xperia Neo only saw the device shipped in limited quantities and that a full-scale rollout would no longer happen until early Q3.

Some on the outside looking in suspect the company’s using the quakes as an excuse for generally slow production schedules, but we won’t assume anything. At this point we’re just hoping Japan as a whole catches a break – those Xperia Neos can definitely wait a while. [via Engadget]

Softbank already stepped up to the plate by offering gratis handsets to earthquake orphans following the horrific events that transpired last month, but now the outfit’s CEO is doing one better. ¥10 billion will be leaving Masayoshi Son (admittedly deep) pockets in order to “support the region and people affected by the March 11 earthquake and tsunami,” and if you’re curious, that equates to just under $120 million in greenbacks. Of course, one might say that said sum is pocket change for Japan’s wealthiest citizen, but he even vowed to “donate to the same cause all of his future compensation as the head of Softbank.” On top of Son’s personal donations, Softbank as a company will be handing over ¥1 billion, with both the man and his entity considering various channels for which the money will be distributed. We’ve got a feeling this is just a bit more serious than your average PR stunt, and we’ve no qualms handing Mr. Son the round of golf claps he so richly deserves.

We were tempted to call it an April Fools’ joke, but it seems the story’s true: Sony CEO Sir Howard Stringer reportedly let slip that his company is producing cameras for the next batch of iPhones and iPads during a public interview with the Wall Street Journal. Traditionally, Apple’s sourced its sensors from OmniVision, including the delightfully backside-illuminated 5 megapixel CMOS unit you’ll find in the iPhone 4, but since Sony too has BSI tech and OmniVision has reportedly encountered delays, your next portable Apple product might house a Sony Exmor R sensor like the one we admired on the Xperia Arc. Mind you, that may not end up actually happening, because of the context in which Sir Howard revealed the news — according to 9 to 5 Mac, he said that the factory producing sensors for Apple was affected by the Japanese tsunami. Oh well.

Following the catastrophic earthquakes and tsunami in Japan, surviving victims from the affected region are going to face a tough time over the coming months, if not years. Many of those who are more fortunate have been actively contributing in one way or another, regardless of distance, to help put Japan on its road to recovery. Back in the country, one such generous person is non other than Softbank founder and CEO Masayoshi Son, who’s recently visited Tamura, one of the cities most affected by the Fukushima nuclear disaster. During that trip, Son announced that Softbank will cover a year’s worth of living costs (commute and food) and provide job positions for the 1,200 people to be relocated to Takeo in Saga, the prefecture where Son originated.

Additionally, Son is using Softbank’s “Let’s Do It” campaign site — a tracker for his “Let’s Do It” tasks posted on Twitter, each accompanied by a completion status indicator — to crowdsource requests for supporting earthquake victims. So far, these requests are mainly about ways to increase efficiency for donation efforts (like publishing a live list of item shortages for each shelter, and setting up new mobile networks at the shelters), but there were two that caught our attention. Last week, one of Son’s followers suggested that Softbank should provide orphaned children free phone credit for a limited time, so that they could contact their friends and other family members. Son then retweeted this idea and announced that all earthquake orphans will receive free phones, along with call costs waived until they reach the age of 18. Another gadget-related initiative came in earlier today with Son promising free replacement for all lost or damaged iPhones due to the earthquake, with details to follow later.

Obviously, anyone providing aid to Japan in any way, shape, or form deserves just as much credit, but Softbank’s extra mileage and cunning use of social networking is certainly praiseworthy in its own right. Here’s hoping that Son’s actions will inspire others for even greater causes.

[Thanks, Tres]

Update: It’s worth pointing out that Son said he’s also happy to help pay phone bills for earthquake orphans who are already on other networks, including DoCoMo. Good on ya, sir!

Gadget geeks in Japan that are fans of tablets will be able to get their hands on the new LG Optimus Pad tablet very soon. NTT DoCoMo has offered up the official launch date for the tablet within Japan. This is the last key bit of information that we didn’t have before, we already know all the specs of the tablet.

The official launch date in Japan is set at Thursday March 31. However, due to the tragic earthquake and tsunami DoCoMo notes that the tablet might not be in all stores on launch day due to shipping delays in infrastructure problems. If you have missed the specs of the tablet before it has an 8.9-inch screen and runs Android 3.0.

Inside the machine is a dual-core processor, 3G modem, and lots more. The screen resolution is 1280 x 768 and the tablet has a 5MP rear camera with a 1.2MP front camera for conferencing. We still have no indication from T-Mobile in the US of when the Optimus Pad will land here for geeks to pick up. The tablet went up for pre-order in Japan on March 15.

Developers of the famous Android player DoggCatcher have made a decision to cut the price on their DoggCatcher player and right now you will be able to purchase one for $2.99(£1.84 in the UK). Also, all of the profit they are going to send to the Red Cross Japan Earthquake and Pacific Tsunami Fund. It [...]

The team behind DoggCatcher, the popular Android podcast player, have cut the app’s price to $2.99 (£1.84 in the UK) this weekend, and are donating all proceeds from app sales during this time to the Red Cross Japan Earthquake and Pacific Tsunami Fund. This is a great way to get hold of one of the best podcast catchers for Android at a reduced price, while helping those in need following the natural disasters in Japan last Friday, so it’s definitely worth a look. But hurry, the weekend is almost over!

Market links and a QR code for DoggCatcher can be found after the jump.

Google has responded to the recent devastating earthquake and tsunami in Japan with a new experimental version of Google Translate which it hopes will make it easier for those affected by the tragic events to communicate.

Like the version of Google Translate available on the Android Market, the app supports text and voice translation between over 50 languages, including Japanese. What’s new in this version, however, is "conversation mode", which combines speech-to-text, translation and text-to-speech technology to make it easier to speak directly to someone in another language.

The experimental app supports Android 2.0 and above, and requires that your phone is set to accept non-Market app downloads. You can grab it using the QR code after the jump, or at the source link. [Google Crisis Response]

You can’t have a 9.0 magnitude earthquake without breaking a few factories, particularly ones that produce fragile liquid crystal screens, and this week Toshiba, Hitachi and Panasonic are each reporting damages that have forced them to close LCD production facilities affected by the tsunami and quake. Panasonic isn’t sure when its plant in Chiba prefecture might resume carving up the glass sandwiches, telling Bloomberg that “there has been some damage, though not a fire or a collapse,” but both Hitachi and Toshiba will reportedly halt some assembly lines for around a month to deal with damages. It’s probably still too soon to talk about panel shortages — though they seem likely soon — but we’ll let you know how things progress.

Today Sony Ericsson issued a double-edged press statement in response to the earthquake and subsequent tsunami, which wreaked havoc in Japan in one of the nation’s largest natural disasters ever. On a bright note, SE has confirmed that all 1100 of their employees working in Tokyo survived the tragedy uninjured, and their office buildings suffered minimal damage. The bad news of all of this is that SE expects the event to cause problems with the supply chain of components as suppliers recover from the disaster. They are currently in talks to assure a minimal impact.

Thankfully delays in production are all Sony Ericsson had to report during a period of time that could have brought much worse news. Our continued thoughts and prayers goes out to those affected by this terrible act of nature, their families, and the Japanese nation as a whole.

Sony Ericsson Statement on Japan Earthquake

SONY ERICSSON STATEMENT, 17 March 2011 – Sony Ericsson is closely following the situation in Japan and our thoughts go out to those affected by this tragic event. The safety of our employees remains the highest priority. We have approximately 1100 employees (including consultants) at two offices in Tokyo, and we can confirm that no employees have been injured, and that there is no major damage to our offices.

The affected area in northern Japan supplies a large portion of the world’s electronics industry with components, and the current situation will impact Sony Ericsson’s business.

As part of our business continuity plan, we are in contact with all our key suppliers in the region and we are identifying the possible relocation of certain component manufacturing, and looking at secondary sources of supply. Although the full impact of the current situation on our business will take additional time to assess, Sony Ericsson anticipates disruption to its supply chain operations.

We continue to monitor our supplier situation daily, in real time, and we will keep our operator and retail customers informed about the status of their specific supply.

Assessments and tallies are still being rendered as to how much damage was actually done due to the tragic events that happened in Japan. Among the corporations affected by the massive destruction brought forth by the earthquake and tsunami that ravaged Japan about a week ago, Sony Ericcson has issued a press release.

Sony stated “We have approximately 1100 employees (including consultants) at two offices in Tokyo, and we can confirm that no employees have been injured, and that there is no major damage to our offices.”. Of course this doesn’t mean they’re totally unaffected.

The northern part of Japan, that suffered a vast amount of the damage, supplies are large percentage of the world’s electronics and components, which in turn will ultimately affect the manufacturing and perhaps sales for Sony. Of course among the many other things that could have happened, this news is merely a small bump.

Check out the press release below for a full update.

Sony Ericsson Statement on Japan Earthquake

SONY ERICSSON STATEMENT, 17 March 2011 – Sony Ericsson is closely following the situation in Japan and our thoughts go out to those affected by this tragic event. The safety of our employees remains the highest priority. We have approximately 1100 employees (including consultants) at two offices in Tokyo, and we can confirm that no employees have been injured, and that there is no major damage to our offices.

The affected area in northern Japan supplies a large portion of the world’s electronics industry with components, and the current situation will impact Sony Ericsson’s business.

As part of our business continuity plan, we are in contact with all our key suppliers in the region and we are identifying the possible relocation of certain component manufacturing, and looking at secondary sources of supply. Although the full impact of the current situation on our business will take additional time to assess, Sony Ericsson anticipates disruption to its supply chain operations.

We continue to monitor our supplier situation daily, in real time, and we will keep our operator and retail customers informed about the status of their specific supply.

Today Sony Ericsson issued a double-edged press statement in response to the earthquake and subsequent tsunami, which wreaked havoc in Japan in one of the nation’s largest natural disasters ever. On a bright note, SE has confirmed that all 1100 of their employees working in Tokyo survived the tragedy uninjured, and their office buildings suffered minimal damage. The bad news of all of this is that SE expects the event to cause problems with the supply chain of components as suppliers recover from the disaster. They are currently in talks to assure a minimal impact.

Thankfully delays in production are all Sony Ericsson had to report during a period of time that could have brought much worse news. Our continued thoughts and prayers goes out to those affected by this terrible act of nature, their families, and the Japanese nation as a whole.

Sony Ericsson Statement on Japan Earthquake

SONY ERICSSON STATEMENT, 17 March 2011 – Sony Ericsson is closely following the situation in Japan and our thoughts go out to those affected by this tragic event. The safety of our employees remains the highest priority. We have approximately 1100 employees (including consultants) at two offices in Tokyo, and we can confirm that no employees have been injured, and that there is no major damage to our offices.

The affected area in northern Japan supplies a large portion of the world’s electronics industry with components, and the current situation will impact Sony Ericsson’s business.

As part of our business continuity plan, we are in contact with all our key suppliers in the region and we are identifying the possible relocation of certain component manufacturing, and looking at secondary sources of supply. Although the full impact of the current situation on our business will take additional time to assess, Sony Ericsson anticipates disruption to its supply chain operations.

We continue to monitor our supplier situation daily, in real time, and we will keep our operator and retail customers informed about the status of their specific supply.

Th 9.0 quake and tsunami killed thousands of people through out Japan and left millions with out water and electricity. Along with also damaging 2 Texas Instruments plants located in Japan. The second largest U.S. chipmaker, Texas Instruments Inc., announced that two plants located in Japan were damaged and that it would hurt sells in the first and second [...]

Just as we expected, Sprint and T-Mobile have followed Verizon and AT&T in offering free calls and texts to Japanese residents following a devastating tsunami caused by one of the biggest earthquakes ever to be recorded. Both carriers’ promotions are retroactive from March 11th, but T-Mobile’s ends on March 31st while Sprint’s will end on April 10th. Check here for more details on Sprint’s release efforts, and T-Mobile’s press release can be found below.

T-Mobile USA Waives Call Charges to Japan and Wi-Fi Calling and Text Messaging Charges to and From Japan

T-Mobile USA, Inc. today announced that the company is taking steps to provide relief and help customers stay connected to loved ones in the aftermath of the earthquakes and tsunami in Japan.

"During this difficult time, our thoughts are with the people of Japan," said Philipp Humm, CEO and president, T-Mobile USA. "Many of T-Mobile’s customers, their friends and families have been directly impacted by this disaster, and our promise is to help them connect with their loved ones."

Effective immediately: T-Mobile USA is enabling phone calls to Japan for postpaid customers without charges for international long distance through March 31, 2011, and retroactive to March 11, 2011.

T-Mobile postpaid customers can make Wi-Fi calls to and from Japan free of charge through March 31, 2011, and retroactive to March 11, 2011.

Text (SMS) messaging is also free of charge to and from Japan for T-Mobile postpaid customers through March 31, 2011 and retroactive to March 11, 2011.

Ways Customers Can Directly Assist Relief Efforts

If you are a T-Mobile prepaid or postpaid customer interested in helping immediately, you can text "REDCROSS" to 90999, and your donation of $10 will be given automatically to the Red Cross to help with relief efforts. This donation will be charged to your T-Mobile phone bill, and 100 percent of the donation goes directly to the Red Cross. There is no per-text fee for this service for T-Mobile customers who do not have a messaging plan, nor will the text be deducted from your messaging plan. Similarly, you can send donations via text message to a number of other relief organizations. T-Mobile does not charge for text messages sent to mobile giving campaigns.